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Manufacturer:Harvey

A band saw is an invaluable tool in the shop. In fact, I know several extraordinary woodworkers that don’t even own a table saw, favoring a band saw instead. After seeing a few of the Harvey band saws in person at the IWF show in Atlanta, I knew that I would want to add one to my shop in the near future.

For several years, the Harvey band saws (both the ALPHA and the smaller AMBASSADOR) have received rave reviews from users in the woodworking community. At IWF, Harvey released an update to these beloved saws in the form of a nickel plated table. They’ve dubbed this nickel plating their “Stain-less” coating, and it’s now available on almost all of their large tools. Having put this coating through the paces for the last several months, I have to say that I’m a believer. The coating, being nickel, is not only resistant to rust and stains (as a turner and butcher of green wood, that’s huge), but it’s also harder than the cast iron and can take a higher polish. This leads to a lot less friction than a cast iron surface as well as additional wear resistance.

Coating aside, let’s talk about the saw. Were all of the positive reviews I had read hype? Nope. It’s as simple as that. The ALPHA is a fantastic saw. For